Storage units, such as lockers, are used in workplaces, schools, health clubs, athletic facilities, parks, aquatic centers, military facilities, police and fire stations, recreation centers, theme parks, bus depots, train stations and other public or private facilities. These units typically include a plurality of walls, a door, and a latch mechanism for retaining the door in a closed position. Commonly the latch mechanism includes a latch bar which is moved up and down between a closed position in which the latch bar is positioned to prevent the door from being pulled open and an open position in which the latch bar is positioned to allow the door to be pulled open. The latch bar is connected to a handle which is used to move the latch bar between the closed position and the open position. When the latch bar is in the closed position the distal end of the latch bar and/or projections from the outside edge of the latch bar will engage the frame of the locker.
Lockers are made and sold in several sizes. Full size lockers may be 72 inches tall. Lockers having heights of 60 inches, 48 inches, 36 inches, 30 inches, 24 inches, 18 inches, 14 inches and 12 inches are commercially available. U.S. Pat. No. 7,828,399 B1 discloses a universal locker system having a full height locker, half-height lockers, third-height lockers and quarter-height lockers. The patent teaches that the latch bar for each of these lockers would be correspondingly shorter.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,016 discloses a door latch for a modular cabinet. One embodiment has a single latch bar that extends nearly the entire height of the door. In the second embodiment the latch bar consists of two segments which are connected together by a latch plate connected to the door handle.
United States Published Patent Application 2008/0179898 A1 discloses a modular latch assembly having a pair of extensions one end of which is attached to one or the other side of a base. A latch device is provided at the distal end of each extension which is moveable relative to the end of the extension. An actuator rod is connected between each latch device and a handle. Moving the handle extends or retracts the latch devices.
There is a need for a latch system which can be used for all sizes of commercially available lockers. This latch system should have segments that can be interconnected. There should be a minimum number of segment shapes and lengths which can be chosen and combined to form a latch bar that can be used in all of the standard locker sizes. The segments should also be configured to be difficult to separate from one another when installed on a locker door.